Ravioli lesson

Photo by Tracy Klimek / New Jersey Herald — Chef Maria Lange, of Maria's Biscotti, pours eggs into the hollowe-out center of flour and semolina during a ravioli-making class.

Posted: Feb. 11, 2014 6:07 pm Updated: Apr. 8, 2014 8:59 pm

By JOE CARLSON

jcarlson@njherald.com

SPARTA — For two hours on Saturday afternoon, the Sparta Public Library basement was transformed into a Food Network kitchen as 30 area residents learned to make ravioli from a pro.

Maria Lange, owner of the online based Maria’s Biscotti and Gourmet Edibles, taught amateur chefs everything from how to make the ravioli dough and filling to how her company’s green ravioli gets its color (powdered spinach).

“Everyone was attentive and asked great questions,” Lange said following the demonstration. “There were really good questions that I didn’t even think to touch on.”

Lange started the hour-long demonstration discussing the proper types of flour to use in the ravioli. She uses a 50/50 mix of unbleached flour and semolina.

After mixing in eggs and water, Lange showed the class how to properly knead the dough for approximately 45 minutes.

“When it’s done it should feel like Play Dough,” Lange told the group.

While letting the dough rest for a few minutes, Lange showed the group how to make the filling for the ravioli with ricotta and mozzarella cheeses.

Lange said that her business also sells butternut squash, mozzarella and asparagus, spinach, and portobella mushroom stuffed ravioli — all of which the group tasted following the demonstration.

Saturday was just one in a line of food demonstrations that the Sparta Public Library has offered over the last couple of years.

“We found that cooking classes are always popular and we’ve done about 10 different cooking programs, one every other month,” Library Director Carol Boutilier said.

Once the dough rested and the filling was made, Lange showed the group how to put the ravioli together using a metal cast to get the proper shape and size.

“It was going really well until the ravioli stuck,” Lange said with a laugh.

Lange used the sticking ravioli as a lesson to not use too much water when putting the two sheets of dough together around the filling.

Lange did not show the group how to cook the ravioli but did give tips, such as letting them boil until they rise to the top of the pot.

Barbara Cebrynski, of Andover Township, said she took the class because she thought it would be informative, but admitted that making ravioli would be challenging.

“With practice I will be able to make them, but not immediately,” Cebrynski said.